Near midair collision between atx small aircraft and helicopter Y just west of mri.

Attributes
ACN	140491
Time
Date	199003
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mri
State Reference	AK
Altitude	agl bound lower : 600 agl bound upper : 600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : anc
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time total : 2100
ASRS Report	140491
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 50 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Departed runway 15 merrill on a chester creek departure. Immediately after turning right crosswind merrill tower advised me to contact anc approach/departure. I acknowledged and continued to adjust power and trim. Leveled off at 600', changed frequencys, called approach, reached over to set transponder code and just saw a helicopter Y at my 2 O'clock position pass just under me. There was no time for me to react. Contributing factors include: failure of tower to advise of possible conflicting traffic, failure of pilots to observe other traffic, and pilot focusing on changing radio frequencys and transponder codes. This airspace is very congested.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BETWEEN ATX SMA AND HELICOPTER Y JUST WEST OF MRI.

Narrative: DEPARTED RWY 15 MERRILL ON A CHESTER CREEK DEP. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TURNING RIGHT XWIND MERRILL TWR ADVISED ME TO CONTACT ANC APCH/DEP. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND CONTINUED TO ADJUST PWR AND TRIM. LEVELED OFF AT 600', CHANGED FREQS, CALLED APCH, REACHED OVER TO SET XPONDER CODE AND JUST SAW A HELI Y AT MY 2 O'CLOCK POS PASS JUST UNDER ME. THERE WAS NO TIME FOR ME TO REACT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE: FAILURE OF TWR TO ADVISE OF POSSIBLE CONFLICTING TFC, FAILURE OF PLTS TO OBSERVE OTHER TFC, AND PLT FOCUSING ON CHANGING RADIO FREQS AND XPONDER CODES. THIS AIRSPACE IS VERY CONGESTED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.